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Over the years there have been many fad diets. For the sake of this article, a fad diet is any diet that uses a gimmick or focuses too much on one specific food or technique. By that definition, the cottage cheese diet would certainly seem to be a fad diet, but is it? Just so you know, there isn’t really a diet plan that uses cottage cheese as the only food you can eat.

Let’s face it, there would be no way anybody could stick to a diet like that. Imagine eating nothing but the same food for all of your meals and snacks. You would get so bored that you would soon go off such a diet and binge on all of the foods you were craving. Besides, it wouldn’t be very healthy and could cause more problems than it fixes.

That being said, cottage cheese is a pretty good food to eat when you are on a diet; especially when compared to other cheeses. It contains a lot of protein, making it ideal for people who are on a low carbohydrate diet. However, it contains less fat and fewer calories than other cheeses. That doesn’t mean it’s fat free, but there are some varieties that are lower in fat than others, so be sure to check the label before you buy some.

Some studies have shown that dairy foods can help you feel more full than other foods. That’s one of the reasons why the cottage cheese diet works for some people. However, you have to eat slowly so your stomach has enough time to signal your brain that you are full. If you shovel in spoonful after spoonful of cottage cheese without giving it much thought, then you will not lose weight. Eat it in reasonable amounts and slow down. It will help you feel more full and that means you will be likely to lower how many calories you take in during the rest of your meal.

Adding cottage cheese to your diet makes a lot of sense, and it can help. But at the same time, it’s not a magic food that will make you shed those extra pounds. In fact, there isn’t any magic food out there, so you need to take other steps if you are serious about wanting to lose weight.

Generally speaking, weight loss comes down to one thing: you have to burn more calories than you take in. That means you have to eat fewer calories, and burn more off. This means you will have to exercise. However, you don’t have to workout at a gym for four hours a day, or jog ten miles. Instead, just work on adding more activity to your day and do things you enjoy.

Taking a sensible approach to weight loss is what will give you the best chance of getting rid of those extra pounds, keeping them off. The cottage cheese diet may be just the thing you are looking for. Just be sure to approach your diet plan (whatever it is) with the right attitude and you’ll be down to your target weight in no time.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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There are so many diets out there, it isn’t even funny, and new ones are being thrust upon an unsuspecting and weight-conscious public all the time. No matter what their claims are, no matter how they package it, the ones that work all have the same thing in common. In fact, it’s the only way to lose weight. What is it? You have to burn more calories than you take in. That’s why so many weight loss programs revolve around a calorie reduction diet.

Our weight goes up when we take in more energy (in the form of calories found in our food) than we use up. Early in our history, this body mechanism served to keep us alive. Our ancestors couldn’t always be sure when they would eat next, so their bodies stored extra calories as fat. This was fine back then, but it leads to obesity in modern cultures where food is plentiful.

If you need to lose weight, then there are only two things you can do. You have to burn more energy in the form of exercise, or you have to eat a reduced calorie diet. The first step is to determine exactly how many calories you need per day. There are plenty of online calorie calculators that can help you determine what your caloric intake should be. If you are seeing a doctor to help lose weight then follow any and all of their recommendations.

Everybody is different, so you need to do what’s best for you. That being said, you should try to avoid a diet that restricts you to fewer than 1200 calories per day. That is the amount the World Health Organization says adults should consume. Besides if you go too low on a calorie reduction diet, then your body will get the message that you are starving, and store a higher percentage of your calories as fat. That means you could actually gain weight by eating less!

A good rule of thumb is to lose no more than one to two pounds per week. This may seem slow, and flies in the face of fad diets that promise big weight loss in a few days, but it is a much better way to lose weight. Losing weight slowly and steadily will prevent your body from going into starvation mode, and it will also prevent you from feeling deprived.

There is another aspect of a calorie reduction diet that you have to be aware of: eating boosts metabolism. That’s right! You can boost how many calories you burn by eating enough. Your brain gets the signal that there is new energy to burn, and it starts up the fat burning furnace to help you use up the energy you are taking in. It may help to think of it as the reverse of starvation mode.

Other than that, a calorie reduction diet comes down to common sense. Make healthy food choices–fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains–and keep your portions under control. Doing those things will give you your best chance at weight loss success.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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It often seems as though you can’t turn around without seeing new diet pill of magic weight loss formula that promises to make it easier than ever to lose weight. No matter what their wild claims may suggest, it is possible (not to mention practical) to shed those excess pounds with a common sense approach. Every weight loss program covers at least a few of the basics. The only difference is in how they package those basics. Here are five basic steps to help you lose weight quickly and easily.

1. Calories Count – This is a critical part of any weight loss program. The only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in. Furthermore, you can potentially consume more calories in five minutes than you can burn off in the same amount of time. A simple formula to remember is that 3,500 calories equals one pound. That means if you can reduce how many calories you take in by 500 per day, you will lose one pound per week. By keeping track of your calories you will be more aware of how much you are eating, and be able to control your intake more easily.

2. Portion Control – While counting calories has its benefits, there are times when it simply isn’t practical. But that should never be an excuse to pig out and put your weight loss plan on hold. So, what should you do? The answer is to take smaller helpings of food. Slow down, and your brain will get the signal you are full, so you won’t ever feel like you’re depriving yourself. And no matter how you were brought up, it’s okay to leave some food on your plate.

3. Eat Healthy Foods – Counting calories and watching portions are only part of the bigger picture. to lose weight, you need to choose foods that are healthier for you. As long as you are limiting your calories, it’s smart to make sure those calories are of a higher quality. Junk food that’s laden with fat and sugar are empty calories, they don’t offer any nutrition. Your best bet is to stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low fat dairy and healthy fats (in moderation).

4. Stay Hydrated – Even though recent studies show that drinking eight glasses of water a day doesn’t help you lose weight, you still need to drink plenty of water. There are other beverages you can drink, but water is the best choice; it has no calories, is necessary to good health, and helps to flush out your system.

5. Maintain Good Health – Most people try to lose weight to get healthy, but you also need to stay healthy as you are losing weight. We sometimes have a tendency to overdo things. You could lose weight quicker if you are obsessed with it, but then other aspects of your health will suffer. The best way to go about weight loss is to do so with a balanced approach.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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Instant weight loss, hmm, really?

When I read this, do you know what immediately went through my mind? Things like instant pudding or instant rice. Where all you do is mix it up and in 5 minutes you have pudding or rice that you can serve your family. We all know that weight loss is not like that unless, of course, you are willing to cut off a limb.

If that is the decision you have made, may I make a suggestion that you start at the top and work your way down? This is the only way you will achieve instant weight loss.

Weight loss is a process, and depending on the amount of weight you have to lose, it could even be quite a lengthy process. You must make a commitment to yourself to change the way you eat and live. You have to eat a lot less than you do now and get regular exercise every day for the rest of your life. I am never one for pulling punches so, listen up. If you do not get up off your lazy butt and get moving, you will die. Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow but your life expectancy is getting shorter and shorter every minute you sit and veg in that recliner or on that couch.

Losing weight is not rocket science. All you need to do is burn off more calories every day than you take in. Simple. If you haven’t got a clue, and I think if you think that weight loss can be instant you really don’t, here’s what you do. Put on a pair of shoes, tie them up, get up, walk to the door, open it, step outside, and go for a walk around the block. Again, simple. The sooner you start, the sooner you will accomplish your goal. People do it all the time. There is no reason you can’t do it, too.

I know you, you are the type of person who will sit there week after week watching The Biggest Loser hoping that if you watch it long enough you will go to bed one night and wake up skinny. If it was that easy no one would be fat now would they? Or you think that by watching every week you will automatically lose weight by osmosis or something, right? Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Along with the exercise you need to learn how to eat right. Did I just hear you say you think that you do not eat that badly to begin with? Once again, you are wrong. If you ate correctly and in the right amounts you would not be fat, now would you? No, you wouldn’t be. So stop deluding yourself and get with the program. The next time you have a meal, dish up what you normally would then get another plate from the cupboard. Now, remove half of the food from the first plate and put it on the second plate, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. Save it for your next meal. Then sit down at the table, with the TV off, and enjoy the food that is left on the first plate. Get a big glass of water to wash it all down with.

Yes, I said with the TV off. It has been proven time and time again that if you eat your meals in front of the TV you will subconsciously eat more than you think you do because you are not paying attention to what you are doing. So, start a new practice, clean off the table and before every meal, set the table with a plate, silverware and napkin for everyone in the household. Serve and eat your meal at the table. Have a conversation with your family and chew your food well.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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Are you fed up with continuously seeing no measurable or long-lasting results whenever you try to lose weight? Or maybe you are sick and tired of throwing your money away on the latest fad diets, only to be let down again. Stop! That’s right, stop whatever you’re doing, you are going to want to hear this. Don’t even think about trying another diet plan or weight loss program until you read this article. Why? Because these four tips will put you on the fast track to lose weight safely and keep it off.

Each of the tips is based on science. That means they have always been around and are not fads. It’s just that a lot of people selling the latest weight loss programs don’t always like to share them, so it’s not your fault if you haven’t been able to effectively lose weight.

1. The Magic of Muscle – In short, the more lean muscle you have as you are trying to lose weight, the better. The amount of calories you are able to burn off is related, in part, to how much muscle mass you have. On top of that, more muscle allows you to exercise more effectively, and have more endurance. The fact that muscle is more attractive than fat doesn’t hurt either.

One of the best ways to build muscle mass is through strength training. You can still engage in aerobic exercise, and should, but nothing beats lifting weights and resistance training to add muscle to your body. This is important because muscle also requires more calories to stay fed, which is good, and brings us to the next point…

2. Stoke the Furnace – What we are talking about here is metabolism; that is the rate at which your body burns calories. As we have already seen, muscle tissue is excellent for burning calories and boosting your metabolism. However, there is something else you can do to keep your metabolism whirring along.

Eating smaller meals throughout the day, as opposed to three larger meals, will keep your body working at burning calories. It also has the added benefit of keeping your hunger from getting out of control.

3. Fast Feet – We’ll keep this tip short and sweet. A great way to lose weight is to take brisk walks on a regular basis. It’s not only easy enough to do, but it will also help you to lose weight safely and keep it off.

4. Cut Calories – This may be the biggest “secret” that fad diets try to conceal, but it gets right to the heart of the matter. The only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in. So far we have looked at burning calories, but now it’s time to switch to reducing how many you take in. The good news is that you don’t have to religiously count every calorie that goes into your mouth. All you have to do is make better food choices, and make a conscious effort to eat reasonable portions.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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If you have made the decision that you would like to lose weight (whether it’s 30 pounds or just a few), there is a chance that you have looked into various exercises, diets, fitness centers, plans and just about everything else you can get your hands on. In the course of looking into all of that information, you have probably noticed that most of the credible sources say the same thing, that there is a strong connection between weight loss and fitness. Let’s take a look at a few aspects of this connection.

We need to start with a firm foundation in the facts. The most important is that you can only lose weight when you take in fewer calories than you expend. There are basically two ways to do this. You can either reduce the calories you eat by changing your current eating habits, or you can engage in more physical activity to burn off extra calories.

Would you say it’s healthy to starve yourself? Of course not! And your body doesn’t think so either. This means that you can only go so far with decreasing caloric intake before your body will. This will slow down your metabolism. When this happens, your body does its best to store every calorie it takes in, to the point where you could start gaining more weight. You don’t want that to happen, obviously, so you need to be careful to get at least enough calories to prevent your body from going into starvation mode.

Do not follow fad diets, or any diet for that matter. Diets are temporary, but you want your weight loss to be permanent. Therefore it’s best to skip the latest craze and focus on switching over to healthy eating habits. Reduce portion sizes, eat a variety of foods, and try to eat foods in as close to their natural state as possible. For example, a carrot is better for your health than a piece of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Now, you can still enjoy that piece of cake, but just take a smaller portion than you normally would. Center your diet on whole grains, lean protein, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

The next part in the connection between weight loss and fitness is burning calories; exercise. The word ‘exercise’ is a dirty word to a lot of people but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to get moving! Any extra activity will burn calories. Find activities you like and do them regularly; walking, bicycling, gardening, bowling or anything else, for that matter. Get a friend to do it with you and you’ll have an even better time.

As you start eating better and getting more active you will star feeling a lot better. You will experience weight loss and be healthier, too. Regardless of what fad diets try to sell you, there is only one magic formula for weight loss. Now that you have an idea of how fitness and losing weight go together, it’s up to you to take the first step; both figuratively and literally.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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Scientists and chemists have long sought a pill that would help people lose weight. And no wonder, such a pill would sell in amazing quantities. But the truth of the matter is that while some medications can have an impact on weight loss, you still need to do the work to lose weight.

There is an ongoing debate about whether food or exercise are the most important element for successful weight loss, but it’s really an argument that does more harm than good. If both sides agree that both food and exercise play some role, then encouraging people to do both is the best way to improve people’s overall health.

Weight loss can only be accomplished in one way: burning more calories than your body needs. Nothing else can make you lose weight. Even medications for weight loss make use of this rule. So, what it comes down to is that you have to either eat fewer calories, burn more off through exercise or a combination of both.

Have you ever known people who can eat exactly what you eat, or more, and seem to never exercise, yet they seem to have some safely-guarded secret about how to lose weight? Maybe they do. But chances are that their bodies simply are more effective at burning off calories; the common term for this is ‘high metabolism’. The good news is that you can boost your metabolism, too.

Exercise does three main things for weight loss:

1. Burns calories. There is an immediate benefit of exercise in the form of burning calories. Some exercises are better than others, such as climbing stairs, running and bicycling. However, any form of extra movement will burn calories, so get active if you want to get rid of those extra pounds.

2. Builds muscle. Just as some exercises are better at burning calories, some are better at building muscles. Any form of muscle resistance will increase your muscles. Why does this matter? Because muscles consume more calories than fat. This means you will get a boost in metabolism even when you are at rest. This may not be automatic weight loss, but it’s about as close as you can get.

3. Improves your health. If you are really overweight, then getting started with exercise may not be easy. But as you start to exercise more, you will start feeling a lot better. And, as hard as it may be to believe right now, you will start looking forward to exercising.

The benefits of exercise are apparent, but as mentioned earlier, you still need to control what you eat. Not only will this help with your weight loss efforts but it will also act as good fuel for your workouts. Eat decent portions, slow down between bites so your brain gets the signal you’re full, and eat foods in as close to their natural state as possible.

We have seen that losing weight doesn’t have to be complicated. We have also seen that weight loss is best accomplished with a combination of both diet and exercise. It is now up to you to follow through on this information…you can do it!

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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If you are looking for easy ways to lose weight, let’s just stop right here. You need to know that there is no magic potion for losing excess poundage. You are going to have to work at it, especially if you have more than just a few pounds to lose.

You can make it easier on yourself by telling yourself you are going to lose the weight no matter what. Just like breaking an old bad habit and choosing a quit date, choose a start date for your new good habit of nutrition and exercise.

Before your start date arrives, begin keeping a journal of what you eat and what exercise you get during the day. This will help you make the changes you need to make in order to lose the weight.

Get a book that shows you the amount of calories in the food you eat. Use this to create a meal plan that is no more than 1500 – 1700 calories a day and plan out five small meals each day with each meal approximately 300 calories each. Your body can process up to 500 calories per meal depending on your fitness level otherwise, the food you eat gets stored as fat.

When looking for easy ways to lose weight, know that you must take in fewer calories than your body thinks it needs on a daily basis. Add a 30 minute walk in there three times a week and you have yourself a recipe for success.

Walking is actually the best thing for you when you want to lose weight fast. You can incorporate the use of ankle and wrist weights when you get further along and are in better shape. Using weights will up the level of difficulty and help you burn more fat with each step.

Your metabolism plays a key role in whether you lose weight or gain weight. The slower your metabolism the more weight you will gain and the faster your metabolism the more weight you will lose. Never, ever starve yourself. If you try to starve yourself your body will go into survival mode and hold on to what it’s got making it virtually impossible for you to lose any weight. You have got to eat to lose weight.

Start your day and metabolism off right and have a good healthy breakfast. Follow the meal plan you have made and pack your snacks and a lunch for when you are at work then when you get home have a nice healthy supper. If you find it necessary you can have one more snack before bedtime. Eating every two to three hours will keep your metabolism in high gear and help you lose weight naturally.

So set a start date and when it comes, begin creating the new you. Do not forget to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Once you begin and start seeing results you will realize that you have found the easy ways to lose weight and you do not need any of those fad diets or supposed magic potions.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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“Lose Weight – Gain Muscle!” You’ve probably seen or heard this headline all over the place, from today’s top weight-loss, fitness, and muscle-building magazines to radio and TV ads. What you may not have seen or heard is that it’s best (and possibly easier, too!) to do the weight loss first, and muscle building after. You see, before you can build up your muscles, you have to ditch the excess body fat. So while you may see both processes touted together by your favorite exercise or body-building celebrities, losing weight and gaining muscle really is more of a two-step process.

We’ll start with losing weight (or rather, body fat), and why you should concentrate your efforts on this step first. By losing the extra body fat first (which is the “true goal” for weight loss), through healthy eating and moderate exercise, your muscles begin to build tone so that once you are ready to start the muscle-building phase your muscles are in a lot better shape for it. I read somewhere that losing weight is about creating a “calorie deficit” and I believe that’s a good way to put it. In plain English, however, what it means is to lose fat, you need to burn off more calories than you take in each day.

How do you create a “calorie deficit?” You do it by manipulating and maintaining a low calorie diet and light to moderate exercise plan. Don’t even think about trying those “fad/fast weight loss diets” either, because most of those are unhealthy and potentially harmful. Not to mention most people who use them and lose some pounds usually gain back what they lost and more. You want to create a long-term healthy eating and exercise plan so when the fat is gone, it doesn’t come back! So now you know how to take care of step one of your plan to lose weight and gain muscle: create a “calorie deficit” to burn off the fat.

Step two is all about building muscle. How does one build muscle? You do it through strength and endurance training that focuses on working specific muscle groups in each training session.

Strength training generally involves the use of weights, but you will also want to do things like sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups… and these training exercises can be done anywhere because the weight you’ll be using is your own body weight! Still, free weights are going to come in handy for those other muscle-building reps you’ll be doing, like squats, bench presses, and curls. For maximum effect and minimum possible damage, schedule your muscle-building workouts for 30 to 45 minutes a day, three days a week.

The main thing to remember when you start on your quest to lose weight and gain muscle is until excess body fat is gone, you’ll just be gaining tone. After you’ve burned off the fat, then you’ll be ready to build muscle mass, and your body will be in better condition for doing so if you concentrate on burning the fat first.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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“If you haven’t joined our community by LIKING ultimate3dayworkout on Facebook, you’re missing out on half the fun! Our Facebook page is the perfect place to ask fitness questions and get answers directly from me.”

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